unseat

Meanings

verbunseat (third-person singular simple present unseats, present participle unseating, simple past and past participle unseated)

present singular third person unseats · participle present unseating · participle past unseated · past unseated

transitiveTo dislodge or remove (someone) from a seat, especially on horseback.
The frightened horse reared up and unseated its rider.
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I was unseated from my bike after hitting an unexpected pothole.
VVhom boldly I encountred (as I could) / And by good fortune ſhortly him vnſeated. / Eftſoones out ſprung two more of equall mould; / But I them both with equall hap defeated: […]
1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IV, Canto X”, in The Faerie Queene. […], part II (books IV–VI), London: […] [Richard Field] for William Ponsonby, →OCLC, stanza 10, page 141
But Conſtantine [the Great] […] diſplaced and unſeated this huge maſſe [an obelisk], yea, and thinking truly, that it vvas no breach nor offence of religion, if taking this admirable monument out of one temple, he conſecrated it in Rome, that is to ſay, the temple of the vvhole vvorld, ſuffered it to lye a long time, vvhiles neceſſarie meanes for the tranſlation thereof vvere a providing.
1609, Ammianus Marcellinus, “[The XVII. Booke.] Chapter III. A Long Narration as Touching the Obeliske, which was Erected in the Greatest Shew-place at Rome.”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Roman Historie, […], London: […] Adam Jslip, →OCLC, page 84
His horſe, as he had caught he maſter's mood, / Snorting, and ſtarting into ſudden rage, / Unbidden, and not novv to be controul'd, / Rusſh'd to the cliff, and having reach'd it, ſtood / At once the shock unſeated him.
1785, William Cowper, “Book VI. The Winter Walk at Noon.”, in The Task, a Poem, […], London: […] J[oseph] Johnson; […], →OCLC, page 259
He had another formidable difficulty in getting him across the river, where both horses stuck for a time in the mire, and Beatte was nearly unseated from his saddle by the force of the current and the struggles of his captive.
1835, [Washington Irving], chapter XX, in A Tour on the Prairies (The Crayon Miscellany; no. 1), Philadelphia, Pa.: [Henry Charles] Carey, [Isaac] Lea, & Blanchard, →OCLC, page 151
figurativelytransitiveTo remove (someone) from an office or position, especially a political one; to dethrone.
India has recently unseated China as the world’s most populous country.
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After having lost her seat to a Tory, she succeeded in unseating him in the next general election.
And thus thoſe Forts vvhich vvere erected to defend the Crovvne, firſt offended the King, ſome fevv vvhereof as he recouered, he flatted to the ground, and vviſhed the other no higher vvalls; ſtill ſvvearing by Gods Birth (his vſuall Oath) hee vvould not ſlightly bee vnſeated of his Crovvne, and vvondring vvhat ſhould mooue them, vvho had ſo readilie aduanced him, ſo ſpeedily to vnſtate him.
1611, Iohn Speed [i.e., John Speed], “Stephen, the Two and Fortieth Monarch of the English-men: His Raigne, Acts, and Issue”, in The History of Great Britaine under the Conquests of yͤ Romans, Saxons, Danes and Normans. […], London: […] William Hall and John Beale, for John Sudbury and George Humble, […], →OCLC, book IX ([Englands Monarchs] […]), paragraph 13, page 447, column 2
But notvvithſtanding all theſe endeavours of theirs, the nine aforementioned VVorthies are reſolved not to part ſo tamely from their Commands, but having made their party as ſtrong as they could, reſolved next morning to unſeat the Parliament once more; […]
1661, J[ohn] D[avies], chapter CVIII, in The Civil Warres of Great Britain and Ireland. […], London: […] R. W. for Philip Chetwind, […], →OCLC, page 371
We carried through our man with great eclat, though protests were taken by the other candidate against so many of our votes, that, had one third of the exceptions held good, it was clear the Governor must be unseated.
1834 September, [Christian Isobel Johnstone], “The Experiences of Richard Taylor, Esq. Chapter VIII.—Governor Fox.—Part II.”, in William Tait, editor, Tait’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume I, number VIII, Edinburgh: W. Tait, →OCLC, pages 540–541
As a result, the anti-Bismarck circles are encouraged in their hope of at length unseating the everlasting chancellor.
1927 October, Emil Ludwig, chapter VII, in Eden Paul, Cedar Paul, transl., Bismarck: The Story of a Fighter, New York, N.Y.: Blue Ribbon Books, published February 1932, →OCLC, book 4 (1872–1888: The Ruler), page 459
Synonyms: depose, oust, overthrow · Antonyms: appoint, enthrone, empower, install
figurativelytransitiveTo cause (something) to be removed or replaced in its role; to displace, to overturn.
Printed newspapers are gradually being unseated by digital publications.
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The Michelson-Morley experiment prompted scientists to unseat their belief in the luminiferous aether.
Eleanor sank upon his bosom, and sobbed as if her heart were bursting with its transport; and poor Susan laughed and wept alternately, till Mr. Blandley, who by this time had heard of the occurrence and reached the court-room, was fearful that her reason would be totally unseated.
1829, William Leggett, Tales and Sketches, New York, N.Y.: J. & J. Harper, page 81
[…] I pray thee, ask no more; for, like my poor mother, I feel as if the probing of the wound would half unseat my reason.
1839, [Frederick] Marryat, chapter II, in The Phantom Ship. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 35
"I see that you have had some great trouble," responded Holmes. / "God knows I have!—a trouble which is enough to unseat my reason, so sudden and so terrible is it.[…]"
1892 [May], A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. XI.—The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet.”, in Geo[rge] Newnes, editor, The Strand Magazine: An Illustrated Monthly, volume III (January to June), number [17], London: George Newnes, Limited, […], page 512, column 1
Robespierre concluded that Danton and Desmoulins were bent on unseating and putting an end to the Committee. He concluded that he would never be safe as long as these old friends of his were alive.
1975, Will Durant, The Story of Civilization, Volume 11: The Age of Napoleon, New York, N.Y.: Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, page 76
Synonyms: oust, supersede, supplant · Antonyms: confirm, preserve
figurativelytransitiveTo upset the composure of (someone); to astound, to shock, to unsettle.
I was somewhat unseated by the strange noises outside my window.
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The Matrix (1999) utterly unseated audiences around the world with its mind-blowing plot twist.
"Heart up, heart up, my boy!" he exclaimed. "The horrors of war must not unseat a soldier thus"—but the other interrupted him, muttering huskily: / "You did not see—not recognise?" and as he spoke the astonishment on his face was accompanied by a look of almost awestruck unbelief.
1897, John Bloundelle-Burton, The Clash Of Arms: A Romance, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton and Company, page 49
Thereafter he held his peace, protesting not at all when it was generally agreed that the collapse of certain squalid brick houses in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn, and the consequent death of many brave officers, had unseated his nervous equilibrium.
1925, H[oward] P[hilips] Lovecraft, “The Horror at Red Hook”, in The H. P. Lovecraft Collection, London: Arcturus Publishing, published 2016, →ISBN, page 266
No giant roast, no towering ham or sinewy wild fowl, can unseat an expert carver armed with a keen weapon.
1935 February, “The Virtue of Carving”, in The Atlantic Monthly, Washington, D.C.: The Atlantic Monthly Group, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 17 May 2023
Your telegram rather unseated me. I was under the impression that if I found a bargain in a place to stay, you would still come.
1937 January 8, Harry [S. Truman], edited by Robert Hugh Ferrell, Dear Bess: The Letters from Harry to Bess Truman, 1910-1959, New York, N.Y.; London: W. W. Norton & Company, published 1983, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 392
intransitiveengineeringTo come off or out of a seat.
We replaced the screws, since the old ones unseated too easily.
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When the feed-valve unseats, air begins to enter the train line and the black hand moves up; […]
1907, Straight Air Brakes; […], Scranton, P.A.: International Textbook Company, pages 50–51
When the pump plunger is moved upward, the flat on top of the cup unseats from the flat on the plunger head and allows free movement of fuel through the inside of the cup into the bottom of the pump well.
1969, Guy F. Wetzel, Automotive Diagnosis and Tune-Up, 5th edition, Bloomington, I.L.: McKnight Publishing Company, →ISBN, page 399
Pull the trigger and the end or needle portion of a spring-loaded shaft unseats from an opening to allow liquid or air to pass through.
1987, William McElroy, Painter's Handbook, Carlsbad, C.A.: Craftsman Book Company, →ISBN, →LCCN, page 250
Using a screwdriver from the trunk of the Camaro, he opened the housing. The short screws unseated quickly and he set aside the lid.
2008, T. Jefferson Parker, L.A. Outlaws: A Novel, New York: Dutton, →ISBN, page 232